Paper-coating machine.



No. 644,840. Patented Mar. 6, |900. W. P. WOOD.

PAPER CUATIN'G MACHINE.

(Application led Apr. 24, 1899.)

(No Modem 3 'Sheets-$heet I.

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No. 644,840. Pateted Mar. s, 1900.

w. P. woon.

PAPER GDATING MACHINE.

(Application med Apr. 24, 1899.) (no Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.

No. 644,840, Patented' Mar. s, |9011.

w. P. woon. PAPER COATING MACHINE. (Application filed Apr. 2,4, 1899.)

(N u Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

llarrnn STATES PATENT Genion.

VLLIAM P. VOOD, OF HOLYOKE, MAVSSACHUSETTS.

PAPER-COATING lVlACi-HNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,840, dated March 6,1900.

Application tiled April 24, 1899. Serial No. 714,257. (No model.)

T all whom #may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PITT WOOD, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inPaper-Coating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to paper-coating machines; and one object of theinvention lies in the construction of a machine of this class havingimproved devices for laying on one side of a web of paper a coating ofliquid or semiliquid material in any desired quantity and of uniformthickness and distributed with. practically absolute evenness over theentire width of said web, whereby the number .of brushes required forgiving said coating a smooth finished surface is greatly reduced and thequality of the product of the machine is greatly improved.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for insuringan even draft on the web of paper passing through the machine and meansfor preventing the sheet from curling on the edges thereof before itreaches and while passing under the brushes.

A still further object lies in the provision of means for securing thebrushes in their frames and in devices for raising all of the brushes atonce from operative position on the Web of paper without disturbingtheir individual adjustment.

The invention consists in the construction `fully described herein andpointed out clearly in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this speci- Iication, Figure l isa sideelevation of a machine embodying this invention. Fig. la illustrates amanner of bringing the .paper in contact with the color-roll differentfrom that shown in Fig. l. Fig. Qis a top plan view of the machine withcertain parts brokenaway. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one end of acasting forming the support of the apron against which the brushesoperate. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a brush and brush-,frame inseparated relations. Figs. 3 and 4 are considerably enlarged. Fig. 5 isa perspective view of. a part of the brush supporting devices.

Hcretofore in machines of this class the coating has been-laid on by acircular brush revolving in contact with the surface of the paper, whichruns over a horizontal table, and a number of brushes located over saidtable, set to bear upon the paper, were given a reciprocatory movementthereon transverse to the line of travel of said paperto evenlydistribute said color or other coating over the entire surface of theweb. Owing to the fact that the coating applied on `the upper side ofthe paper remains green for some time, it is impossible to resort torolls for drawing the paper under the brushes, and various devices havebeen employed for the purpose with indifferent success.A A positivedraft on the paper is essential, and it must be sufficient to keep thepaper under tension enough to overcome the resistance of the brushes andto prevent a light-weight paper from wrinkling under the transversefriction to which it is subjected by the movement above referred to ofsaid brushes, and in practice it has been found that sufficient draft onthe web to overcome its tendency to wrinkle is liable, when the paper isdrawn over a flat or horizontal table, to cause the paper to curl alongthe edges thereof, thus affording a chance for the liquid coating to getunder the edge of the web, disflguring the under side thereof and as itdries causing the paper to adhere more or less to the apron on which itrests. thermore, on machines as heretofore constructed the brushes weresecured in supports independent of one another, and if, by reason ofwear or the brushes becoming clogged or matted by the liquid coating, itbecame necessary to remove one of them its adjustment relative to theplane of travel of the paper had to be disturbed, requiring a readjustrnent thereof when replaced.

This invention overcomes the above objections by applying the coating bymeans of rolls capable of adjustment, whereby a thick or thin coatingmay be applied, and by drawing the web of paper over a curved table,whereby, according to well-known principles, the edges are preventedfrom curling under any circumstances; by providing a positive draft forthe web, applied beyond and independent of the continuously-travelingapron, against which the brushes operate, and in making'that draftadjustable, whereby it may Fur- IOO

be adapted to the requirements of different weights of paper, and,finally, by the provision of a frame supporting all of the brushes anddevices for permitting the removal of any brush thereon withoutdisturbing its adj ustment relative to the surface of the web, saidbrush-carrying frame being adapted to be moved away from and toward thesaid paper-surface to permit said removal of the brushes.

The construction of the machine embodying this invention comprises asuitable rectangular frame 1, on which is supported, in any convenientlocation, a driving-shaft 2, driven by a suitable belt 3. Acounter-shaft 4 is driven by a belt 5 from said main shaft.

On the forward end of the machine a trough 6 issupported on the frame,in which trough a roll 7 is supported for rotation in suitable bearingsin two standards 8, supported on the forward end of the frame 1. Saidstandards are slotted vertically and receive therein the slidingbearings of a roll 9, and which bearings are supported on the extremityof a screw Sn, located in the cap 12 of said standards and whereby saidroll 9 may be adjusted toward andfrom the roll 7. A hand-wheel 10 issecured to the top of said screws 8a and its upper surface is graduatedby radial lines, whereby by the aid of a'finger 11, supported on theframe in proper position, the degree of bearing of the roll 9 on theroll 7 may be indicated. The rolls 7 and 9 are made of gunmetal or somesimilar material and are turned up true and smooth. The liquid coatingmaterial is placed in said trough G, and the roll 7 applies said colorto one side of the web of paper, which runs between it and the roll 9,the latter being set down against the blank side of the paper, bindingit with more or less force against said roll 7, and, according to thepressure with which the roll 9 bears on the roll 7,the quantity of theliquid coating which will be applied to the web of paper may beregulated.

On one end ofthe shaft 13 of the roll 7 is a pulley 14, and on one endof the shaft 15 of the roll 9 is a pulley 16, belts 17 and 18 driving,respectively, said rolls 7 and 9, but the roll 7is given asomewhat-greater circumferential speed than the roll 9, whereby thesurface of said roll 7 will be given a sliding or wiping movementagainst the surface of the paper, thus evenly applying the coating ofthe material in the trough 6, which adheres to the .surface of the rollduring its rotation.

7, as stated, and thence up over the curved portion of the machine. Thispart of the machine is formed by a series of castings 23, 24, and 25,(indicated in plan on Fig 2,) and in an elevation in Fig. 1, and in Fig.3 one end of one of them is shown in perspective, the opposite ends ofsaid castings being alike. The upper surface of each of these castingsis so curved that when located on the top of the frame 1 these willconstitute, as seen in Fig. 1, a curved table extending upward from theforward end of the frame and backward toward the opposite end thereof,the surface of the last one, 25, of said castings merging into a planepractically parallel with the top of the frame 1. Along the forward edgeof the casting 23 is hung a roll 26,whose periphery lies practicallyinthe plane of the upper surface of the said casting, and in the spacesbetween the castings similar rolls 27 and 28 are located to affordsupport for an endless rubber or similar apron running on rolls 30 and31, supported on the frame 1 at each end of said curved portion of theframe. The whole of the above-described portion constitutes atable overwhich the paper, having' received a suitable coating of material fromthe roll 7, passes and on which it is operated on by the brushes, ashereinafter described. The roll 30 is given a speed of rotation by abelt 33 from the main shaft 2 which will impart to the apron 29 a speedof travel equal to the circumferential speed of the roll 9. The roll 31is hung on an adjustable standard on the frame 1, and by means of ascrew 34 a proper tension may be put upon said apron. The roll 26 is sosupported on the frame 1 that the periphery thereof will liesubstantiallyin the plane of the curve of the upper surfaces of thecastings 23, 24, and 25 and is located also in proper position toreceive the web of paper as it leaves the roll 9. On one end of theshaft of the roll 31 is a sprocket-wheel 35, which by a suitable chain36 rotates a roll 37, supported in suitable bearings on the frame of themachine in such position that the top thereof shall lie in the samehorizontal plane as the top of the roll 31. Near the rear end of theframe is another roll 38, and on these rolls 37 and 38 is carried anendless apron 39 of rubber or similar material, which, like the apron29, is of nearly the full width of the machine. Both of these apronshave nearly the same speed of movement, that of the apron 39 beingslightly the greater. The bearings for the roll 38 are adjustable fortaking up any slack in the apron 39.

Between the rolls 37 and 38 lies a suctionbox 40, so placed that theunder side of the upper portion of the apron 39 will move transverselyacross the upper surface thereof in contact therewith during theoperation of the machine. This upper surface is provided with slits 41,which extend over an area of said box narrower transversely than thenarrowest apron which would be run on the machinep` IOO and asuction-pipe 42 enters one end of said box.` On the side of saidsuction-box 40 opposite the end entered by said suction-pipe is anopening 44, controlled by a sliding gate 43, whereby the degree ofexhaustion existing in the suction-box may be controlled. Saidsuction-pipe is connected with any suit able exhauster. (Not shown.) Acertain area of said apron 39, extending around it lengthwise and havinga width narrower than the narrowest web of paper to be run on themachine, is perforated, as shown in Fig. 2, the web of paper beingbroken away for that purpose. As the apron 39 has a speed of travelslightly exceeding that of the apron 29 and as the exhaustion of airfrom the suction-box 40 causes the web of paper to adhere to the surfaceof the said apron 39, any tension that may be desired can be applied tothe web between said apron 39 and the roll 9. Any degree of exhaustionmay be obtained in the suction-box 40 by means of the gate 43, abovereferred to.` The greater speed of the apron 39 relative to the apron 29is necessary to allow for variations in length of said web of paperbetween the said apron 29 and the rollv 9 due to the absorption 4ofymoisture contained in the liquid coating applied to one.

surface of said web. The tendency of the paper to `wrinkle and of theedges thereof to curl is also greater when one surface of the paper onlyis moistened than if both sides .were subjected to moisture a-t the sametime;

but the inconvenience caused by this characteristic is entirely obviatedby drawing the paper over the curved surfaces-formed bythe tops of thecastings 23, 24, and 25.

As the paper leaves the roll9 the coating of material upon its surface,while it is perfectly even is not perfectly smoothbut when held up tothe light shows lines running lengthwise thereof, and to lay thiscoating smoothly over the surface the brushes 46 are provided, whichhave a reciprocating traverse movement over the paper. These brushes arepreferably three in number, one located over each of the castings 23,24, and 25 and against the tops of which they bear, the apron 29 beinginterposed between the tops of said castings and the web of paper. Thesebrushes are each secured removably in clampingframes, (one of which isillustrated in Fig. 4,) which frames are adjustably supported betweenvertical rods 47, whose lower extremi ties are fixed invertically-movable bases 48, located under the top rails of the sides ofthe frame l. These rods 47 extend through the upper side rails of theframe l and through bosses 49, cast on the lower edges of the sides ofthe castings 23, 24, and 25, bolted to the top of the frame, vwhich actas guides and support-s for said rods. A boss 50 is cast on the underside of each of said bases 48, in which a post k5l is secured extendingdownwardly and has a collar 52 secured toit, to which is pivotallyconnected one end of an arm 53, whose opposite end is secured on therock-shaft 54, hung in suitable bearings on the frame 1. said rock-shaftis secured a lever 55, whereby said shaft may be oscillated to raise orlower the base 48, carrying the vertical brushsupporting rods 47, and asuitable support,

(See Fig. 5.) On one end of` as 55, is provided for the lever 55,whereby them parallel with the surface of the apron `29 and transverseto the line of movement of the-latter, and in which holes are locatedtwo rods 58, which have a free sliding movement through saidcross-heads. On said rods are the heads 59 and 60, between which a brush46 is clamped by its ends. One of said heads 59 is movable on said rods58, and the other,

60, is ixed thereto by set-screws, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. To eachof'said heads 59 and 60 toggle-rods 6l are secured by one end, theopposite ends thereof being pivotally attached one above .the other to atoggle-lever 62, the distance between the points of attachment of saidrods to said leverbeing whatever may be required to effect the necessary'clamping movement of the head 59 relative to the head 60 when thetoggle-lever is moved from avertical to a horizontal position.Contiguous ends of the two rods 58, which support one of said brushes,are entered and secured in a head 63, and connecting rods 64, bysuitable straps, engage eccentrics on a shaft 66, supported in bearingsparallel with the side of the machine and receiving proper rotarymovements through bevel-gear connections 67 with a vertical shaft 68,which in turn isl geared tothe main driving-shaft 2, as shown in Figs. land 2. These eccentrics may be set in such positions on the shaft 66 asmay be considered most desirable either to move them all simultaneouslyacross the paper in one direction or one in one direction and the othertwo in the opposite direction, or they may be set on thirds, so that themovements of one brush will be followed by similar movements of theother two at regular intervals.

The method herein set forth of applying the coating mixture by means ofrolls operated as described offers many advantages over the circularbrush heretofore used. By

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means of the rolls the quantity of the coating material applied to thepaper is absolutely controlled, and different lots can be treated so asto produce like results.

The method of running the rolls herein described not only lays thecoating on the paper evenly, but it assures a closer union of thatcoating with the paper. Furthermore,

it is very much more economical of the coating material, for whateveramount may be taken up by the roll 7 only as much will be applied to thepaper as is permitted by the adjustment of the roll 9 against the roll7,

` the surplus running back into the trough.

This machine is particularly adapted for applying to paper the basiccoating required in paper for photographic work, owing to the evennesswith which it can be laid on, the economy in material, and owing to thepeculiar constituents of that particular coating, which makes it verydifficult to apply properly with brushes. A further economy lies in thefact that the rolls of this machine perform their work so perfectly thatonly about half the number of smoothing-brushes are required, as when acircular brush is used for applying the coating. These brushes must beof iine quality-usually badger hair brushesand are very expensive andWear out rapidly when in continuous operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a paper-coating machine, a roll for applying a coat of liquidmaterial on one side of a web of paper, a feed-roll adjustable towardand from said first-named roll, said liquidapplying roll having acircumferential speed different from said feed-roll, a curved bed overwhich the webl of paper passes, smoothingbrush-es having transversemovements across the paper and located over said curved bed, asuction-box, an endless apron running over the surface of said box,perforations in said apron covering an area of less width than that ofthe paper, an eXhauster connected with said box, and means for impartingmovement to said feed-roll and movement of said perforated apron awayfrom said feed-roll, substantially as described.

2. A paper-coating machine comprising a suitable frame, a pair of rollssu p ported thereon whereby a web of paper is drawn into the machine,and a coating of liquid material applied to one side thereof, a curvedbed on said machine, an endless apron running over said curved bed; asuction-box located beyond said curved bed, a second endless apronrunning over said suction-box and in contact with its upper surface;perforations in said apron covering an area of less width than that ofthe paper, whereby the latter is adapted to adhere to said apron, aseries of brushes supported over the said curved bed, means forimparting a reciprocating traverse movement to said brushes, and forrotating said feed and coating rolls and said aprons, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a paper-coatin g machine, a roll for applyinga coating of materialin liquid form to a piece of paper, and a feed-roll for said paper, saidcoating-roll having a bearing against said feed-roll and a greatercircumferential speed than the latter, a curved bed over which the paperis drawn from said feed-roll, whereby said paper is made to lie flatagainst said bed after having said liquid applied thereto, and brusheshaving transverse movements across said paper for smoothing the surfaceof said coating, substantially as described.

4. In a paper-coating machine, a roll for applying a coating of materialin liquid form to a piece of paper, and a feed-roll for said paper, saidcoating-roll havin ga bearing against and a greater circumferentialspeed than said feedroll, a curved bed over which the paper is drawnfrom said feed-roll, whereby said paper is made to lie flat against saidbed, after hav- 8o ing lsaid liquid applied thereto, an endless aprontraveling away from said feed-roll, means for applying suction to theunder side of said apron within the' limits ot' the paper, andperforations through said apron whereby said paper is caused, by saidsuction, to adhere to said apron, substantially as described.

5. In a paper-coating machine, a'roll for applying a coating of materialin'liquid form to a piece of paper, and a feed-roll for said paper, saidcoating-roll having a greater circumferential speed than said feed-roll,a curved bed overwhich the paper is drawn from said feed-roll, wherebysaid paper is made to lie flat against said bed after having said liquidapplied thereto,`an endless apron traveling away from said feed-roll,means for applying suction to the under side of said apron,within thelimits of the paper, and perforations through said apron whereby saidpaper iscaused,by said suction,to adhere to said apron, and a series ofbrushes movable as one away .from and toward said curved'bed, andindividually adjustable relative thereto, substantially as described.

6. In a paper-coating machine, means for supporting thesmoothing-brushes for movement, as a unit, toward and away from thepaper, comprising movable bases having uprights thereon for supportingsuitable rods, on which said brushes individually have a slidingmovement transversely of the paper, suitable clamps on said rods forholding said brushes, and means for individually transversely movingsaid brushes, and for verti- 115 cally moving said brush-supportingbases, substantially as described.

VILLIAM I). WOOD.

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lVitnesses:

H. A. CHAPIN, K. I. OLEMoNs.

